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South Indian · Indian

Mysore rasam

Vegetarian

ಮೈಸೂರು ಸಾರು · maisūru sāru

A fragrant Karnataka rasam made with a freshly roasted paste of coriander seeds, chana dal, pepper, chilli and coconut, cooked into toor dal broth with tamarind, tomato and a touch of jaggery.

Mysore rasam is a South Indian soup, ready in about 50 minutes and made with toor dal (split pigeon peas), ground coriander and coconut. It serves 4 and is rated intermediate to cook.

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Prep
15 min
Cook
35 min
Total
50 min
Serves
4
Level
Intermediate
Calories
145

Ingredients

4 servings

Roasted masala

For the tempering

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Cook the toor dal (opens in a new tab) with 350 ml of the water and the turmeric (opens in a new tab) until very soft, then whisk smooth.

    Eggs being whisked in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Kampus Production on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Heat 1 tsp ghee (opens in a new tab) in a small pan and roast the coriander seeds, chana dal (opens in a new tab), pepper (opens in a new tab), cumin (opens in a new tab) and chillies over low heat until the dal is golden. Add the coconut (opens in a new tab) and toast for 1 minute more. Cool and blend to a fine paste with a little water.

  3. Step 3

    Simmer the tomatoes (opens in a new tab) with the tamarind, jaggery, salt and the remaining water until the tomatoes are soft and the tamarind smells cooked.

    A sauce simmering in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Nanda Mends on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    Stir in the dal and the ground paste and simmer gently for 3–4 minutes until frothy, thinning with hot water to a soupy consistency.

    • 4 min
    • medium-low heat

  5. Step 5

    Temper the remaining ghee (opens in a new tab) with mustard seeds (opens in a new tab), curry leaves (opens in a new tab) and asafoetida (opens in a new tab), pour over and add the coriander.

    • 2 min
    • medium heat

About this dish

Origin
Mysuru, Karnataka, Karnataka, India · Commonly attributedMore food from India
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Soups
Cooking method
Toasted, Boiled, Simmered
Taste
aromatic / warmly spiced, tangy, sweet & sour, spicy (chilli heat), nutty
Diet
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No nut ingredients · Low-carb · High-fibre
All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Whole-food focused · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · High-fibre · Low-fat · Carb-conscious
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Festive & celebration
Cook more with
Toor dal (split pigeon peas) · Ground coriander · Coconut · Turmeric · Ghee · Chana dal (split bengal gram)
Techniques
Toasting · Boiling · Simmering · Tadka (tempering) · Spice roasting (dry-roasting)

Allergens

  • Contains: Milkfrom ghee
  • May contain: Wheatfrom asafoetida
  • May contain: Glutenfrom asafoetida
  • Contains: Mustardfrom mustard seeds

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

145 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 347 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 15%
  • Carbohydrate 51%
  • Fat 34%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy145 kcal42 kcal
Protein5.7 g1.6 g
Carbohydrate19.9 g5.7 g
Net carbohydrate14.4 g4.2 g
Sugars——
Added sugars1.1 g0.3 g
Fibre5.5 g1.6 g
Fat5.8 g1.7 g
Saturated fat3.3 g1 g
Trans fat0 g0 g
Cholesterol9 mg2 mg
Sodium744 mg214 mg
Salt equivalent1.9 g0.5 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
521 mg
Calcium
83 mg
Iron
2.4 mg
Magnesium
62 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
71 µg
Vitamin C
9 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0 µg
Folate (DFE)
103 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Not counted (tiny amounts or “to taste”): curry leaves, asafoetida.
  • Chana dal (split bengal gram): Whole raw chickpeas / bengal gram (FDC 173756) used as a stand-in for split, skinned desi chickpeas; the composition is very close.
  • Tamarind paste: Raw tamarind pulp (FDC 167763). Commercial concentrates vary in water content.
  • Jaggery / palm sugar: Brown sugar (FDC 168833) used as a stand-in for unrefined cane jaggery and palm sugar.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Use byadgi chillies for the classic orange-red colour without too much heat.

Common mistakes

  • Over-roasting the coriander seeds makes the rasam bitter; take them off as soon as they are fragrant.

Serve with

  • Serve with rice, a palya and a spoon of ghee.

Storage

  • Keeps 2 days refrigerated.

Reheating

  • Reheat gently, thinning with water as needed.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 3

Masalas in this recipe

Make the masala first, then come back to finish the dish.

  • Dry spice blend

    Rasam powder

    This recipe roasts and grinds it from whole spices (37 g for 4 servings). The full masala recipe explains each step in detail.

    Make Rasam powder

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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